“I get a lot of concerns in my office about the National Flood Insurance Program either not paying the claims or paying less than they should,” said Pallone, D-N.J., who held the meeting at the municipal building. “I wanted a sampling of how widespread the problem is.”

Many Union Beach homes had to be torn down, and payments are falling short of what is needed to rebuild, Pallone said.

“This is a federal program, and this is not acceptable to me,” Pallone said. “I plan to take this to federal agencies and demand action.”

The representative of the state’s 6th Congressional District, which includes the borough and the rest of the Bayshore, previously sent a letter Feb. 6 to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate. In it, Pallone drew attention to the long period of time it is taking federal adjusters to process the claims of his district’s residents. Specifically he criticized the requirements of long forms, receipts, serial numbers and photographic evidence that residents must provide, saying they slow down the process.

Pallone also mentions in the letter that Gov. Chris Christie says the state Department of Banking and Insurance is receiving three complaints about the National Flood Insurance Program for every complaint about homeowner’s insurance, as 85 percent of homeowners’ insurance claims have been filed, compared with 30 percent of flood claims.